The Powerline 48 is supplied
with a DCC decoder with an “on board” DCC Switch, set to DC. To operate on DCC,
the 48’s Body has to be removed to set the Switch to the DCC position.

Removing the Body.

The buffers at each end
are sprung and that the shafts extend over the chassis preventing the removal
of the Body to access the decoder, after the screws have been removed.

Prize the
buffers out carefully. The “flats” formed on the shafts during the crimping
process, will no longer be there after removal. Be careful not loose the
springs if you want to re-install “sprung” Buffers.

When
decoder modifications/changes are complete, trim the Buffer shafts and glue in.
If you want “sprung” Buffers, you’ll need to “crimp” the ends again using a
pair of Long Nose Pliers etc.

Photo and text courtesy of Casula Hobbies.

1.The Body can be a “tight fit”.

2.Remove both Couplers and the 4 body securing screws (6 screws in all).

3.Holding the Body, gently pull the Footplate to separate the 48.

4.If the body does not separate from the Chassis, leaver the body off
using a small flat bladed Screwdriver as shown.

5.Carefully prize up one end, a little at a time then the middle then the
other end, making sure to keep the Body “parallel”.

CV #

Default

CV #

Default

1

3

53

0

2

8

65

255

3

1

66

128

4

1

67

4

5

1

68

8

6

1

69

12

7

107

70

16

8

32

71

20

9

0

72

24

10

0

73

28

11

0

74

33

17

0

75

38

18

0

76

43

19

0

77

48

21

0

78

53

22

0

79

60

23

0

80

67

24

0

81

74

25

1

82

82

29

6

83

90

30

0

84

98

31

0

85

106

32

0

86

115

33

16

87

125

34

32

88

137

35

64

89

152

36

1

90

178

37

2

91

194

49

16

92

212

50

8

93

232

51

0

94

255

52

0

95

128

Using the 48 in DCC.

The decoder is manufactured by Regal Way (CV 8 = 32) and is an “Atlas”
format decoder with Tab/connections at each end. At the moment (Sep 2012), there
is no Decoder Definition for this decoder in Decoder Pro.

Selecting the Headlight, the White Marker Lights at
that end plus the opposite end Red Marker Lights, illuminate.

Both the Cab Lamp and the Fan are powered by a small
Circuit Board, separate to the supplied decoder, that
is powered any time the 48 is on a powered section of track. This means on many
DCC layouts the Fan will be rotating and buzzing all the time.

I found while operating the 48 on DCC, there is a
small hum from the Motor, suggesting that the decoder uses low frequency PWM
motor “drive”. Operate your 48 in DCC, to see if this hum is annoying enough to
change the decoder to a “silent drive” decoder.

Sound for the 48.

Prime Mover: “In
Line” 6 Cylinder Turbocharged Alco 251B.

Horn: Leslie 2 or
5 Chime.

The ESU Loksound Alco 251 Select Direct Part No 73702
decoder includes a 6 Cylinder 251 B Prime Mover sound complete with a Leslie 2
or 5 Chime Horn is ideal for the 48. The “Atlas” format (the same as the
original decoder) of the Select Direct, makes for an easy sound decoder
installation.

Body removed showing the decoder and Fan Motor. The
DC/DCC Switch is at the Upper R/H corner.

Remove the decoder by unsoldering all the wires and
spreading them apart to identify as shown below.

Leave the Mounting Bracket installed, making sure the
screw heads are not too high to contact the decoder. I also applied insulation
tape on the underside of the decoder. Clip the decoder onto the bracket.

Shown above, the original decoder, mounting bracket,
Fan Motor and Light/Fan “electrics” Circuit Board, all removed with a speaker
installed. All of the wiring is still at their original lengths (not trimmed).
The 48’s wiring use’s only Red and Black wires so I’ve identified them to help
for the installation of the Select Direct.

The
wiring from the Front Headlight and Track Pick Ups in the Cab area are
positioned in slots and held in place with tape.

The wiring is glued into place using Microscale Kristal Klear.

The photo shows the angled driveshaft and the very low
bogie top providing space above the bogie for the original Fan and now where
the speaker is installed.

An 18 mm MRC Round 8 Ohm Speaker
including enclosure (MRC Part No 0001512) is installed above the Rear Bogie.
Note the speaker cone faces to the inside of the enclosure.

The speaker is super glued to one wall and held in
place with the silver tweezers while the glue dries. Two small screwdrivers are
inserted between the speaker and the bogie, to provide bogie clearance.

The Select Direct clipped onto the Mounting Bracket. Using the exploded view of the 48’s wiring, solder the wires to the
appropriate Tabs as shown above.

The Pick Up wires from both ends, just reach their
applicable solder tabs.

The 48’s Head/Marker and Cabin Light LEDs have a 1,000 Ohm current limiting resistors included
in their applicable assemblies, eliminating the need of installing resistors.
The Black wires from the Light Assemblies are soldered to “+UB” (positive) Pads
of the Select. The White Marker lights are wired to the Headlights.

The Select Direct provides a 2,200 Ohm resistor
(identified as “222”on the decoder) adjacent to the individual Output that can
be “shorted out” if necessary by “linking” the two Pads adjacent to each of the
“222s”. With a total of 3,300 Ohms for each LED, I did not find the LEDs too dim. See Instruction Leaflet.

The Select Direct has 6 Light Outputs. I wired the
Front and Rear Red Markers to the Aux 1 & 2 Pads respectively and the Cab
Light’s Black wire to the Aux 3 Pad and the Cab Light Red wire to either “+UB”
Tab and operated by F4, F5 & F6 respectively by programming firstly CV 32
to 2 then CV 346 to “4”, CV 362 to “8” and CV 378 to “16” respectively. The default operation of Both Red Markers by F6 and Cab Light by
F5.

To select the 6 Cylinder sound in the Select Direct
and the Leslie 2 Chime Horn, program CV 48 to “37”. For the 6 Cylinder and the
Leslie 5 Chime, program CV 48 to “40”.

The completed overall view of the
installation. For a better sound, I sealed the Fan opening
with a piece of Cardboard and BluTac.

While the Select Direct has the correct Prime Mover
sound, other sound decoder that are more than suitable for the 48, are the
Soundtraxx Tsunami Alco AT-1000 range. For a YouTube video demonstrating the
Select and 244 sound in the 48, see: http://youtu.be/9M_-_TaQzvk